Taken
by GuessWhatTimeItIs
Summary: Princess Bubblegum is taken...


Taken

Finn's legs couldn't carry him quickly enough. His legs were tired, his feet were tired, and every muscle in his body cried out for rest but his will drove him onwards through the rain. Mud splattered against his shoes and all up his legs, and he was already covered from head to toe from falling once or twice. Or six times.

But Finn didn't care. He couldn't feel the cold surrounding him, and he didn't notice the rain splattering across him as he continued to run through the dark. It was nearly midnight, and he hadn't stopped running since he had heard the news.

The news that his favorite princess had been hurt. Princess Bubblegum was in need, and Finn was rising to the occasion.

He cared not for the rain, or the water, or the distance. He was dedicated to a blind dream, and he would do anything for her. Running to the ends of Ooo was just what Finn was doing, and he'd do it again and again no matter how many times she needed him. There was a feeling in Finn's heart he wasn't sure of, but the best he could describe it was lo-.

Well, it was a type of liking, a…like-like. He couldn't bear to tell anyone what he really thought it was, but it was there nonetheless. And it hurt, because he knew she didn't feel the same. The princess cared for him, he knew that much. But it was different, somehow it was the same word, but it meant something else. For her it was like how Finn liked Jake, like a brother and a close friend he'd never deny or hurt.

But Finn's feelings…they were something else entirely. It was a feeling like a fluttering, a rushing of blood his face, a type of twitch just below his sternum. Something so uncomfortable, and yet so wonderful he never wanted to let that feeling pass. Finn felt his face flush just thinking of her, and even now in the cold and the dark he felt his face getting warm.

At last he made it to the Candy Kingdom. Finn wasted no time in sprinting to the gates and storming inside. However, Peppermint Butler insisted that he stopped in the entrance. Finn demanded why he had to wait to see the princess, his tone both alarmed and angry. The short man only shook his head as he responded.

"Finn, you are simply filthy. Please get yourself tidy!" Despite Finn being truly disgusting and muddy, Peppermint kept his patience. After several minutes and many towels and water, Finn was almost presentable. Peppermint wasn't totally pleased, but he knew there was only so much he could do for someone who bathes so infrequently. So, the little man let Finn go, but called after him a warning.

"Oh and Finn, make sure you knock. Make sure she's alright to see you." Finn didn't understand why Peppermint had given him that warning, but he didn't question it. If it was what his princess wanted, Finn would gladly comply.

Approaching her door, Finn tried to concentrate. He didn't know what to say, or what to do. He was going to bring her flowers, but after a mile or two in the rain and a couple slips into the mud he left them where they fell. All he could do was show that he cared, so he resolved to simply show support. Feelings rising in his chest, Finn knocked on her door.

There was a sound like shuffling or rustling, and then he heard a faint voice beckon him inside. Finn slowly opened the door and walked inside. His breath hitched in his throat as he saw her. She was pale, almost deathly as she lay in her bed. Princess Bubblegum had never looked so grim, and Finn almost could not bear to see her in this condition. But he steeled his heart and walked to her side.

As he did, he noticed she was not alone.

Marceline was there also, floating at the princess's side. It was odd seeing her there. She was a dark spot in a room otherwise covered in pink. An enormous black sweatshirt surrounded her, the hood flipped back. Black jeans ensconced her legs, which hovered just next to the bed.

But Finn couldn't grasp why she was here. There was some unspoken rule that seemed to come up every time the two women had been together. Something wasn't totally right, even if they no longer seemed to hate each other. Finn had never understood what had happened between the two, but he knew better than to ask either of them about it.

Princess Bubblegum was happy to see Finn, and she smiled half-heartedly at him when he stood at her side. The trio talked for a short while, but the pale pink princess couldn't keep up with most of the conversation. Her voice was quiet, broken. The young champion could hardly stop himself from wincing every time she tried to speak. It was painful to see her like this, but he knew he had to be there for her in her time of need.

Finally, Bubblegum decided that she was sleepy, and she drifted off almost mid-sentence. For a moment, the two guests would not meet each other's gaze. Then, Finn worked up the courage to ask Marceline why she had come to help Bubblegum. She chuckled quietly, and then responded in a whisper.

"Bonnie's my friend squirt, and that's what friends do." Finn wasn't satisfied though. There was some other reason, something deeper than that. Marceline was hiding something, as she had never seen much more than tolerance for the candy princess. Finn felt something was missing, something she was not saying.

"That's not all. Come on Marcie, you can tell me." He pleaded with her quietly, being careful not to wake the sleeping for between them. Marceline had an odd look on her face, somewhere between pain and amusement.

"Look short stuff, it's not easy to explain, and I don't think you want to know anyways. Just trust me, we're friends." But Finn was persistent, just as he always was in these situations. He pestered her further, but Marceline kept refusing his requests. Finally, she responded in a way Finn wasn't expecting.

"Finn, do you remember when I kicked you out of all those homes all that time ago?" Of course he remembered. It was funny looking back on it, as they were friends now. So much had changed. But he quickly shook these thoughts from his head.

"You're changing the subject. Come on Marceline." She let out a sigh, and then pulled the covers down off of Bubblegum. Finn almost burst out with something, as he felt this wasn't right, but then Marceline spoke softly.

"Remember that 'M' behind your cross-stitch on the wall?" As she spoke, she lifted the edge of the princess's shirt. Next to her abs, just above her hip there was a small 'M' traced there in some dark ink. It appeared to be a tattoo, almost invisible against her skin. With realization, Finn felt his head spin. Something in his chest nearly stopped, and the letter marked there was almost glowing in his sight.

"Finn, Bonnie and I were more than friends once, and I'm not sure we're as little as friends even now. Sorry to break the news to you, but she said she wouldn't tell you." Finn was feeling his soul getting crushed at that very moment.

"Bonnie's mine Finn. Sorry to say it, but you don't have a chance. Just between you and me, let her go. You'll find someone else."


End file.
